“When the Taliban took control of the Swat Valley, one girl fought for her right to an education. On Tuesday, 9 October 2012, she almost paid the ultimate price when she was shot in the head at point-blank range. Malala Yousafzai's extraordinary journey has taken her from a remote valley in northern Pakistan to the halls of the United Nations. She has become a global symbol of peaceful protest and is the youngest ever winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. I Am Malala will make you believe in the power of one person's voice to inspire change in the world.”
This book has taught me so much. I realised when I picked it up just how little I really knew about Pakistan, the Taliban, what they did and what life was like living in fear of them. While I was growing up the Taliban were of course something I was aware of but I was too young to really appreciate or understand what was going on at the time and so that awareness didn't extend much beyond the fact that the Taliban were terrorists.
Malala's story is a moving and inspiring one. Her courage, her determination, and her refusal to remain silent even in the face of the Taliban is incredible. She really is a remarkable person and I truly hope that one day she is able to return home to Swat, which she writes about so lovingly.
Reading this book reminded me constantly how many freedoms I take for granted and that is a great and important thing. What I enjoyed most was how Malala's story was entwined with the history of Pakistan and how her experiences were put in the context of what was happening in Swat, as well as Pakistan as whole. Initially I felt that I wanted a little more of Malala's personal history in this book but the more I read, the more I realised that this is not just Malala's story, it's Pakistan's story, and you can't have the former without the latter.
As horrifying and haunting as it was, I relished learning all about what the Taliban did and how it was to live in fear of them. I now have a much greater understanding of what people mean when they say
the word 'Taliban', and all the horror that it brings with it, and for that I am grateful. This is an important book and I highly recommend it.
